A debtor has been subjected to a debt collector's fury at some point of time or other. There have been several instances when a debtor has to surrender to the mercy of a debt collector. The reason being, a debtor may not know his rights. He may not be aware that there are ways by which he can protect himself from the ordeal of dealing with the collection agencies. How to beat debt collectors is an integral part of becoming debt free and requires urgent attention. The more you give in to their illogical demands, the more you get delayed in getting out of debt.

There are some collection agencies who have made the life of debtors miserable. They are,

• Allied Interstate
• Palisade Collections
• LVNV Funding
• Allied Data Corp
• Asset Acceptance LLC

Debt collectors cross their legal limits and try to extract as much money as possible from the debtors. However, it is the duty of a debtor to be well acquainted with the norms which govern the activities of the collection agencies and the creditors. You should know your rights and remember the debt collectors do not have the authority to dictate terms to you. Let them know that you are aware of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act guidelines. If you are thorough with the norms of FDCPA, you will know how to beat debt collectors.

How do debt collectors bother you?

There are innumerable complaints registered against the debt collectors. Given below are some ways in which the debt collectors harass you -

• There are instances when they call you and try to get details of other debtors.
• Often debt collectors discourage any kind of documentation.
• They urge you to pay up over night.
• They encourage you to settle debts over the phone.
• They also call up your relatives as well as friends.
• They call up your workplace.
• Debt collectors are known to abuse debtors. They threaten of imprisonment and garnishing wages.
• It is not uncommon for them to call you up for a debt account that has already been settled several years ago.
• They often report your debt account to the credit bureaus without taking prior permission from you.
• They pose as attorneys and call you up.
• They try to revive accounts that have crossed the Statute of Limitations on debt.

How to beat debt collectors?

Since they are very treacherous in their dealings with the debtors, you should maintain the following while handling debt collectors.

• It is best to record the conversation you have with the collection agencies.
• Keep track of the calling time, the time you receive the calls and the reason for which the call was made.
• Try not to give out your employment details. They will try their best to get facts out of you. So beware.
• Do not furnish any information about your bank account number or your social security number. It is best to get hold of their contact address and mailing address, so that you can send a debt validation letter if the need arises.
• In the event they validate your debt, double check the information and look out for any discrepancies. You have a 30 days time to dispute the debt after receiving the validation.
• If you have shelled out the money after your debt was validated, do not forget to get an acknowledgement from them. Ask them to remove your details from the credit file. In few cases, they do agree to remove your name from the credit file but there may be instances when they do not agree to do so.

Despite the above efforts, if you see that a debt collector is repeating the same irregularities all over again, you can report to the Attorney General of the state you are living in. You may also report to the Federal Trade Commission or FTC.